The Nigeria Innovation Cluster Exchange (NICE) has opened applications for its Pipeline Clinics, a business development programme designed to help Nigerian entrepreneurs and businesses strengthen their operations, address growth challenges and position themselves for sustainable expansion.
The programme targets businesses operating in or supporting six priority innovation clusters across Nigeria, covering agro-processing, manufacturing, health, minerals and cybersecurity.
The initiative is being implemented by The Nest Innovation Technology Park in partnership with the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub under the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme, with collaboration from the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI).
The Pipeline Clinics follow NICE’s initial desk and field research, which mapped innovation activities, stakeholders and opportunities across the six priority clusters.
The clusters include Kano for agro-processing, Abia and Ogun for manufacturing, Oyo for health, Akwa Ibom for minerals and Abuja for cybersecurity.
Unlike generic entrepreneurship training programmes, the Pipeline Clinics will focus on the specific needs of businesses within each cluster. Participants will receive support in areas including innovation management, prototyping, access to facilities and strategic partners, business development and peer exchange.
The programme will also feature UK-based Experts-in-Residence who will provide specialised expertise in innovation strategy, incubation models and technology validation.
The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub said the Pipeline Clinics would provide entrepreneurs and businesses with practical tools, networks and support to strengthen their competitiveness, address local challenges and scale sustainable solutions.
“Strong local innovation clusters are essential to unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential. Through the NICE Pipeline Clinics, we are equipping entrepreneurs and businesses with the practical tools, networks, and support needed to strengthen their competitiveness, address local challenges, and scale sustainable solutions,” the organisation said.
The programme is open to Nigerian-owned or Nigeria-based businesses with an existing business, startup, prototype, product, service or clearly defined business model.
Eligible participants must operate within, support or demonstrate strong relevance to at least one of the six priority clusters and have an identifiable business challenge, growth opportunity or development need.
Priority may be given to businesses demonstrating growth potential, innovative products or services, market traction, expansion opportunities, investment readiness, job-creation potential or the capacity to contribute to their local innovation ecosystem.
Applicants are also expected to commit the required time, provide relevant business information for assessment and implement lessons and recommendations from the clinics.
The Pipeline Clinics form part of NICE’s broader effort to address fragmentation within Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, where startups, research institutions, entrepreneurship support organisations and innovation hubs often operate independently, limiting collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Following the clinics and expert exchange, the programme will progress to collaborative innovation sprints, bringing Nigerian and UK partners together to develop and validate solutions to identified challenges.
Oluwajoba Oloba, Co-founder of The Nest Innovation Technology Park, said the initiative would strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem through knowledge sharing and institutional partnerships.
The NICE framework also provides for Cluster Coordinators and Cluster Councils to promote local ownership, coordination and continuity across participating clusters.
The programme comes amid broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation infrastructure. In August 2026, the Federal Government, through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), advanced plans for a National Innovation Hub Standards Framework to improve the capacity of the country’s 339 innovation hubs to support startups and entrepreneurs.
NICE’s Pipeline Clinics are expected to complement these efforts by strengthening business capabilities, encouraging collaboration and supporting the development of sustainable solutions across Nigeria’s regional innovation clusters.
Interested businesses can apply through the NICE application portal.
Leave a Reply